Lawn edger



Sept. 16, 1930..

H. L., SULZBACH 1,775,836

LAWN EDGER Filed Oct. 21, 1927 @www Y g 61H01 mm1 Patented Sept. 16, 1930 PATENT OFFICE HENRY L. SULZBACH, F SIOUX CITY, IOWA LAWN EDGER Application led October 21, 1927. Serial No. 227,708.

My invention relates to that class of horticultural implements which are termed lawn l edgers, and has for its object, primarily, to simplify the construction of, and to improve the operation of, such instruments. VThese devices have heretofore'been patterned after plows used for turning earth in fields and have been cumbersome and diflicult to operate. Most of these devices include a longitudinal beam or shaft, a pair of wheels or pairs of wheels to support said shaft and a cutting blade or share supported between the wheels or rearwardly thereof and depending from the shaft proper. In many instances, VV discs have been employed for piercing the sod. These devices have been cumbersome for the reason that the shares have not been positioned to receive the full power applied to the shaft by the operator.

My invention contemplates a substantially straight shaft provided at one end with a handle which may be grasped byboth hands of the operator so as' to enable him to manipulate the implement with comparative ease, a

n?? pair of wheels supporting the other end of the shaft and a share or digging blade secured to the forward end of the shaft and projecting forwardly therefrom in substantial alignment therewith so that pressure exerted 3 3.9 against the handle may be transmitted directly in a line with the shaft to the share, the wheels serving as a fulcrum, abo-ut which the share may be manipulated by movement of the shaft at its other end. f

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple Aand substantial share construction having integral means for securing it to the shaft and so shaped'V as to avoid clogging of earth between the share and the end of the shaft directly therebehind. i

' 'Ano-ther object of theinvention is to provide means for adjustably clamping the wheel axle tothe shaft. i Y l t. v With these and other'l objects in view, my invention Vconsists inl the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, Aas hereinafter more b fully set forth., pointed out in my claims, and

illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the implement.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2*-2 of Fig. 1. Y

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, detail, sectional view taken on the line 3*,3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detail, sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

I have used'the reference character 10 to indicate the shaft of the implement which is preferably made of wood but which may also be constructed of metal, such as, for instance, a channel arm or tubular construction. At one end, a double handle 12 is secured to the shaft in a transverse position so as to enable the operator to obtain a very secure grasp for manipulation of the implement.

An axle 13 is extended through an o-pening 14 provided for it in the shaft 10 and is clamped in position by means of a yoke 15 having the side arms 16 provided with notches 17 adapted to receive the axle 13. Connecting elements are used for adjustably securing the yoke 16 to the shaft 10 and preferably assuming the form of bolts 18 extending through registering openings in the yoke 16 and the shaft 1() and secured by nuts 19 threaded into'the bolts 18 and engaging the shaft so as to draw the yoke toward the shaft. Thus it will be seen the yoke may be tightened so as to exert pressure against the axle 13, which in turn is securely clamped against one side of the opening 14. Thus the shaft may be secured in place in any of several longitudinally adjusted positions.

IlVheels 20 are journalled at the ends ofthe axle 13.

A share, which is referred to generally by the reference character A, is formed of a heavy plate of steel having a generally triangular shaped blade 21 provided with a cutting edge 22 and an opposed, substantially vertical, share 23. The blade 21 and share 23 are formed by bending up one side of the triangular shaped blade, thus forming a generally trough-shaped share, the share sing positioned substantially vertically and the blade being inclined .from the lower extremity of the share upwardly and outwardly substantially at the angles shown in Fig.1

` 3. A dividing shoulder 24 is thus formed befifnasshown inFi-g.v 2. Y i f l The implement isordinarily used y.by plactween the share and blade and this dividing -shoulder is positioned in la vertical plane, which is substantially co-axial with the shaft |10, as indicatedinFig. l'.

VFormed integrally* with the'isliare is bracket 25, which is .shaped to embrace the' 'shaft l0 and provided with a pair of open-v ings for reception off-bolts 26? 'extended `through the vfor securin shaft and through the bracket the latter to the shaft. A neck 2 which is.considerablyreduced,

' connects the blade 2-lwitli the bracket`25 andis twisted fso.- as 4.td/bring fthe blade tov 'a proper angle Vrelative to the shaft'. Itn'iay now be noted that ythe` lower portion of 'the bladey 21 .and vthe share 23 are both cut awayv so as to form this -reducedvneck a'nd-su-fii-` ciently toleave aspaceas at 28 between the rear extremity of'. the k,share and'blade andthe forward extremity. of the shaft. Y Y

- he vertical angle ofthe blade and share is such that the shoulder 2li is 'inclinedrelative to the Vshaft 1.0 a-ta lsubstnitial 'angleexs tending forwardly and `upwardly from :the shaft. The :rear extremity/of the shoulder 24 `is below the longitudinal plane of the lower sideof the sha-ft or substantially thereing p the -wheel .at the left sidefof the device upon the sidewalk 29 and allowing the rightv wheel Vto travel up0n-thelawn. VAs the fhanthe -devicewill-kpivot abouta vertical axis,

share relative yfto the sidewalln` "I-findthat easy by virtue ofthe `Vfact that the share is 'positioned Vat theforward end of :the shaft.'A

i rlhe lateral adjustment of ythe sharefthus is accomplished in the most naturalinanner,V

namely, vby "swinging a lever about; la; i ful- Vcrum, the handle of the' lever being positioned. Y

y z'at oney end'. and the operating .portion y'ofthe 7lever being at the other.

@ted-beine@ the. @eration*Ofitheiimple- 2 ment of/my invention jas comparedwththo'se, devices whereinthe/sharegi-s positioned rearL A wardlyfofnlthe wheels.,y The :pressure-jofjthe againstvfthe {share'jf as the latter f tends todig, its way Vunder thesodwill-h'ave a tend-y' "easy talft thahelfldle 0f; my Y devices WlfGlQ'l n Y A ,K ofjverticalffadj ust-v` nient ofthe share. Byfdepressingthe handle,'f tl;1eshar.e is lifted,- the axle-again acting as the t Y, ful'cru'm.'j Atthisp oint,y a di'erencfe may be`V arms ofthe operator pressing down against the handle, whereas inthe other type of implement,thehandles must ybe lifted upon in order to counter-act the digging'tendency. Obviously it is more' awkward and laborious e may bek counter-acted the weight ofthe a` feat to constantly exert upward pressure v against the handle than; it is-to exert downwardpressure. For this'reason the operation ofthe device is verysubstantially improved. f y"Another-'differencethat may be here noted between the old type of implement mentioned Y andtlat of my invention resides in the fact thatonit is ,1nore. difficult` to rclearly see the position of the sharerelative to the sidewalk whenthe y,share is positioned beneaththe shaft; Itis also Vmore'diiiicult to fadjust the lateral'position of the share'.'v

f Positioning ythe-'shareV forwardly of the Y shaft raises theproblemV of disposal of the earth which passes over the blade and this is f solvedby' providing a space128, hereinbeforel described. K It]` will Abe ynotedwthat the neck 27 inclinedfoutwardly and forwardly away'4 Y from Vthe end ofthe shaft, as indicated 'at 30 f in Fig.V 1. *Thusy the yneck willv serve to deflect .the outer extremiytyfof the Strpbf Y earth or sod which is being removed toward the opening 28-,and the earth will then pass `beneath theV end ofthe shaft through this fos opening. f The share 23 servesfnot only as a llongitudinal guide but also' tol form theV innerextremity of the Ycut'.`V To this end Yitis'- I i sharpened atitsgupper edgevas at3-1.l,V l A )It mayl'now bei notedfthat whenfthe implement j is inclined vertically ,at-"the 'usuali n ,t

angle indicatedapproximatelyinFig; 2, thatv the cuttingfedge'22 will'extendpartially into theearthandpartially abovevthejearthl` Thek Y fits same :will be true of. the cuttingzedge 31.11. 2A' strip" of '-fearth.y Jwillfthus be smoothly sliced wardly "away from the Vfsidm'falk.` This strip object fof edgingkis merely-to kprevent 'the `from the lawnfsubstantially'triangular:in v p crosssection withits innerfface vertical and".- p itsouter`r face inclined outwardly,"and;up+ 12101K grassfwhichj cannot befreachedffbya lawn mower from growing higher thantherestof the l lawn;

heI width orgelevating the `share,I *Asl the share is y is`r` I removedimaybe Jleggalated .by theldepressing,

Y loweredintogtheearth,thegwidth ,ofcutvvillff@A i be increased. 'A' noi-'malcut Jiszindicated in iahe linealeseinem@ i f nl adaaimetae 'improvements tion, eected by positioning thelshareat the forward of t'he'fshaftand positioning the wheels'lnear th/#share for' obtaining ja" full" 1 c rum the constru'c'tionof inventionis con-"Y sld'erably'simplifiedand cheapehed 'overjpri vious:y 'structures are:requiredforlthefsharefotherthanthe 113B I oo' fr f tegral bracket construction which may be formed at the same time that the share is formed. v

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my invention without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents, which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. A lawn edger comprising a shaft of substantial thickness, a pair of wheels supporting said shaft intermediate its ends, a share and bracket formed integrally of a single piece of plate metal cut away intermediatek its ends to form a reduced neck, the share being formed trough shaped with one side forming a blade and the other side a Vertical knife, the blade being connected with the bracket by means of said reduced neck and the bracket being secured to one side of the shaft at one end thereof, the share proi jecting beyond the end of the shaft, the neck being positioned out of line with the shaft and the cutaway opening of the share allowing earth to pass under the end of the shaft, the wheels being adapted to support the shaft in an inclined position when the share is projected below the level of the wheels.

2. A. lawn edger comprising a shaft of substantial thickness, wheels supporting said shaft, a share and bracket formed integrally of a single piece of plate metal, the share comprising a blade and a vertical knife, the blade being inclined upwardly and away from the knife and the latter and the adjacent portion of the blade being cut away to form a reduced neck connecting the blade with the bracket, said neck being twisted to position the bracket in a vertical plane, the bracket being secured to one side of the shaft at the end thereof, the share projecting beyond the end of the shaft, the neck being positioned out of line with the shaft, the cutaway opening of the share allowing earth to pass under the end of the shaft and the wheels being adapted to support the shaft in an inclined position when the share is below the level of the wheels.

Signed this 19th day of October, 1927, in the county of Woodburyand State of Iowa.

v HENRY L. SULZBACH. 

